


Glass Mountain

by orphan_account



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Fairy Tale Retellings, M/M, Stiles tells a story to the bby betas, Story within a Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 06:29:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13048404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Stiles recounts a fairy tale to the Hale Pack.





	Glass Mountain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [synoa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/synoa/gifts).



> Happy Holidays to [synoaponga](synoaponga.tumblr.com)!! I tried to put in as many of the things you like in here :) I hope you enjoy <3 
> 
> A huge thank you to [blackice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackice) for all the help and the beta, and a huge thank you to [lynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynnwrites/pseuds/lynnwrites) for loving me and supporting me <3

Stiles threw himself onto the chair, letting out a sigh of relief as he settled into the cushions. Derek’s loft always had the comfiest chairs, the softest blankets and the fluffiest pillows. He was definitely trying to spoil his betas, even if the ex-Alpha denied it vehemently whenever Stiles brought it up.

“Stiles,” Isaac raised an eyebrow at him, eyes flickering between the door and his friend, “pack meet’s over. Shouldn’t you be following after Scott like an imprinting duckling?”

“I resent that.” Stiles hummed, his fingers tapping on the cushions under him. After a moment, he shifted, twisting until his legs swung over the arm of the chair.

“So…” Isaac frowned, “what exactly are you still doing here?”

“Waiting for the movie to start?”

“ _Stiles_.”

“What?” Stiles shifted again, his legs hanging over the back of the chair. He stared at the upside-down image of Erica, Boyd and Isaac aggressively cuddling onto the couch. “Am I not allowed to watch movies with you guys?”

“Tonight is movie night for original Hale pack only.”

“Says who?”

“Says the original Hale pack?”

Stiles shrugged, trying not to frown at the sting of hurt that welled up in his from Isaac’s words. “I was Derek’s friend first.”

“But you’re not his _beta_.”

“Great. Whatever.” Stiles burrowed himself deeper in the cushions, stubbornly refusing to give up. He could hear Isaac wheezes out an irritated sound. Stiles could barely feel any satisfaction, instead choosing to stare darkly at the cushiony fabric of the chair.

A stretch of silence settled around the group. Boyd and Erica were exchanging looks, probably discussing with that seemed to be eyebrow movements. Stiles suspected they had learnt it from Derek. Isaac, on the other hand, stared moodily at the wall, a pouty frown on his face. Stiles jiggled his leg, then tapped on the cushions, shifting around every few seconds in an effort to find the optimal lounging position on the small chair.

“Would you stop?”

Stiles huffed, then planted his feet on the ground. He leaned forward, staring dead into Isaac’s eyes and said, “So, once upon a time, there lived a princess, Princess Derek-”

“Why am I a princess?”

Stiles strained his neck up to see Derek, who stared down at him with a single eyebrow raised. Stiles grinned. “You’d totally be a princess, don’t deny it.”

“I’m denying it. And I refuse to be the princess.”

“Fine, fine.” Stiles wiggled sideways, though he had nowhere to move. “You gonna settle down, too?”

Derek shrugged, but squished himself into the chair anyways. There really wasn’t any breathing room – the chair wasn’t meant for two people, never mind two full sized men, one of which was built like a brick house. Still, Stiles grinned to himself, Derek a comforting warmth across his side.

“So. Once upon a time, there lived a princess…”

\---

Princess Lydia was the most beloved in the kingdom. Although not particularly praised for her kindness, her intelligence and beauty were known across the land.

But then, one day, she left the kingdom, taken by a fierce dragon named Parrish to an enchanted castle which sat upon the summit of a mountain made of glass. The Glass Mountain, as it was dubbed by the citizens of the kingdom, had appeared over the course of a night, growing from the ground suddenly. The castle was nearly impossible to climb, each step a slip away from tumbling back to the bottom. The only imperfections in the glass were tall trees, which bore golden apples. The skin of these apples was bright and glistening, shining more than even the purest gold.

Many brave men and women tried to rescue the beloved princess of the kingdom, for the Queen had said that any person who could successfully bring her daughter home would be heavily decompensated. And, predictably, humans turned to fools when money was involved. Particularly large sums of money.

But each time these men and women tried to climb the castle, they would slip and slide down the mountain, unable to find proper footholds. Some particularly talented people managed to hook rope around the trees and pull themselves up. Others were just naturally good at climbing smooth surfaces. But then they would have the misfortune of bumping into Parrish, who would stare down at the petty humans, clawed feet hovering inches above the air and powerful wings flapping slowly. Then the dragon would push the brave men and women down, face stonier than a brick wall.

Then, one day, a brave knight named Derek climbed the mountain-

\---

“Stiles.”

Stiles continued over Derek’s mild protest. “There was a brave knight named Derek-“

“ _Stiles._ ”

“Who had armour as black as the night sky during a full moon-“

“The night isn’t actually that dark since the moon is brightest during the full moon.” Isaac pointed out helpfully, though he was on the edge of the couch, leaning towards where Derek and Stiles were squished against one another. Stiles took a brief moment to feel smug.

“So this knight-“

\---

The brave knight Derek came from the prestigious Hale family. Their family was well off, each one of their children a member of the elite militia. They were seemingly happy, always kind and patient, willing to help those in need, and had no need of the money or glory saving Princess Lydia came with.

However, the youngest Hale, Malia, had dreams of adventures.

So Malia embarked on a journey, determined to climb the mountain.

She never returned.

Now, her father, Peter, was not an awful man. He was manipulative and always seemed to conveniently have a plan under his sleeves, but he wasn’t evil. And he loved his family fiercely. He loved them more than anything – his daughter, above all. Above riches, above his own sister and wife.

And so Peter planned to chase after her.

Worried about his uncle’s health, Derek offered to find her and bring her home. Peter, grateful, held his nephew tightly before pushing him out of the door.

\---

“Peter is pretty awful-“ Erica started, but Stiles cut her off.

“Shhh, my story. Stop.”

Derek’s finger tapped against Stiles’ thigh, one quiet little thank you for defending the family he had left.

\---

Derek travelled towards the glass mountain relentlessly. The first day, he managed to climb up halfway without much difficulty. Talented, though he was, superhuman he was not. And so, like a regular person, he took a break and spent the night leaning against a tree, the golden apples twinkling like stars.

The next day, Derek travelled higher, quickly making his way to the summit. He had very few ideas as to where Malia had ended up, but Malia was his cousin and he wouldn’t give up on finding family. He made his way slowly, barely slipping. He shed his armour as he went, black plates revealing black leather underneath. Without the weight of metal dragging him down, Derek made quick pace.

It wasn’t long until he met the fearsome dragon himself.

Parrish was an impressive creature – something between human and a dragon. He had shimmering golden scales strewn over pale skin, and two long horns extending out his head. His eyes were shining more brightly than any star, than even the moon. There were claws on his hands and feet and his face was twisted into a scowl.

But, all in all? He wasn’t actually that scary.

Derek only had a moment to be confused before the dragon pushed off the ground, great wings pumping, and the force of the wind strong enough to knock Derek backwards. The knight slipped, feet scrambling to find a hold, but he slid backwards, unable to find purchase.

He fell.

\---

“Did you just kill Derek!?”

Both Erica and Boyd flinched when Isaac shouted, his eyes wide in panic. Stiles paused.

“Dude, let me continue-“

“You can’t let Derek die!’

“I’m not letting Derek die.”

“Good!”

Stiles held back a laugh, sneaking a look at Derek from the corner of his eye. Derek looked a bit shocked, but also a little touched, as if he didn’t think his beta would jump to his defend his fictional life so quickly.

Stiles tapped his thigh, smiling to himself.

“So anyway, Derek, the brave knight, fell…”

\---

There were fingers on his face.

Derek could feel fingers poking at his face, tracing over the ridge of his brow, down his nose and over the curve of his cheek. The fingers were gentle, warm, and smelled like spiced apple and crisp, fresh snow. If he were a lesser man, he’d lick them, just to get a taste of that fresh scent.

But alas, he was stronger and, truthfully, a little more than mildly concerned that someone’s fingers were rubbing themselves all over his face.

Derek’s eyes snapped open, a growl vibrating from deep in his throat. Immediately, the fingers retracted from his face.

“I wouldn’t move, if I were you. You fell pretty hard and you’ve been out of it for a couple hours now.” The other person (man?) had a soothing voice, one that was barely louder than a whisper. It almost sounded like it floated on the wind, as though it were a sound deeply ingrained into the forest.

“Who are you?”

“Erm. No one really.” The other person’s voice was steady, though louder this time. He felt the other man back away before a face appeared in his periphery. The man had… beautiful eyes. Gorgeous eyes. Perfect, whiskey coloured eyes that were shining, and clear, and so so beautiful-

\---

Stiles could feel Derek sigh beside him. “They _are_ pretty nice eyes.”

“Thank you, big guy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

\---

The knight sat up slowly, keeping his eyes on the young man in front of him. “And what are you doing out here, on a glass mountain?”

“I happen to _like_ this mountain, ya’ know. What about you, what are _you_ doing here?” The stranger was suddenly frowning, his shoulders a rigid line, “You’re not here to try to find the princess, are you? Because you’re not gonna find her so you might as well give up.”

Derek bristled, “No. I’m looking for my cousin.”

Immediately, the stranger sagged forward, as though a string had been cut, “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“I… see.”

Derek simply raised an eyebrow.

“I mean… that’s good because, uh, that would suck for me if you wanted to marry a princess.”

“O…kay?”

“Uhm… because I want to marry… her?”

Derek shrugged. He started to clamour to his feet, surprisingly steady while he moved on the smooth glass ground. The other man also started to stand, barely wobbling.

“I’m Stiles, by the way.”

“Derek.” 

\---

“I can’t believe you still have a crush on Lydia Martin.”

“I can’t believe you’re still interrupting my story now shut up, Isaac, and let me finish.”

\---

“So, why is your cousin skulking around this mountain?” Stiles was pressed into Derek’s side, a line of warmth contrasting the cold, mountain air. The sky was filled with bright speckles in the night sky. “I can’t imagine it’s very nice.”

“She had something to prove.” Derek murmured quietly, “She wanted to be free.”

“Free?”

Derek sighed, shaking his head. “My uncle – her father – is protective, and there are many societal expectations on us. To be patient, to be kind. We help a lot of people, but they tend to expect a certain demeanour from us.” Derek idly thought that the stars were much less brilliant than Stiles’ eyes in the day, “And my cousin – she’s… abrasive. She, more often than not, had to pretend to be someone she wasn’t.”

“That sounds like it’d wear a person down.”

“It does.”

Stiles hummed, but pressed his arm harder against Derek’s side.

The weight of it was a comfort.

\---

Derek and Stiles trekked along the mountain, climbing slowly. Every time Stiles would start to slip, Derek would catch him. Every time the climb seemed more impossible, Stiles would find a foot hole or a tree. All in all, they worked well together, helping each other climb higher and higher.

And every smile, every breathy laugh that slipped from Stiles’ lips; every time the younger man looked back at Derek with eyes shining with mirth, Derek felt something in his twist uncomfortably, almost bitterly.

Stiles wanted to marry a princess.

Derek wasn’t a princess-

\---

Erica burst out laughing, almost howling. She slid off the couch, clutching at her stomach-

“Derek- Derek, you walked right into the one!”

Derek curled his lip, growling a little. Stiles just grinned, patting his friend on the arm. “Hey, none of that. I promise this has a happy ending.”

The ex-Alpha narrowed his eyes, but settled back into the chair anyways.

\---

“Where could Malia be?” Derek grumbled, one hand pressed against the mountainside. His feet were slipping under him, “How does this mountain even exist?”

Stiles was uncannily silent behind Derek. It was unnerving the knight, the strange contemplation that had settled over the younger man.

“How haven’t we even made it to the top?”

“What are you going to do if we get there?”

“What?” Derek turned his head towards Stiles, frowning, “what do you mean by that?”

“Are you going to hurt Lydia?”

For a moment, the familiarity of Stiles’ tone threw Derek off, but he growled through it. "Why would I hurt your precious princess?” There was something twisting uncomfortably inside Derek, a pain in his heart that he tried to ignore. “I won’t get in your way. You can have the princess and whatever glory you want.” He could feel bitterness and disappointment well up in him. Disappointment that Stiles was so obsessed with the princess, and bitterness because he wanted Stiles to be obsessed with _him_ instead. Derek pushed himself to his feet, scowling.

But the ground was made of glass, and he slipped.

Stiles reached out to steady him, catching his wrist, but both men slipped instead and slid down the glass.

And then they stopped.

Derek sputtered as dirt filled his mouth, dry and cracked, but dirt nonetheless. He blinked in confusion at the sudden appearance of rocks and soil where there had once been smooth glass. Beside him, forehead pressed into Derek’s shoulder, Stiles was breathing heavily.

“You stupid asshole,” Stiles muttered, taking deep breathes between his words, “I’m not gonna marry Lydia.”

Derek blinked, staring at the cracked dirt in front of his face. “Huh?”

“Lydia and Jordan are perfectly happy with their thirty or something cats.”

“What?”

“And plus, Lydia’s like a sister to me. That’s gross. I mean, not that I didn’t want to when I was way younger – I was convinced she was the love of my life, you know? But then we got to know each other more and it was like all the funny little fantasies I had of her were really just that – fantasies. Ideals.” Stiles rolled onto his back, the fingers wrapped around Derek’s wrist loosening, “My mother, she was the court mage and my father was the captain of the guards. And I’m just Stiles, a little magic, a lot crazy, helping my best friend live a happy, married life with the dragon boyfriend of her dreams.

Derek blinked in confusion, “Huh.”

“I don’t want to marry Lydia.”

“I… okay.”

“Actually, I’d like to get to know you better.”

“I- Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Derek shook Stiles’ fingers off his wrist. Stiles let go easier, ready to take his hand back, when Derek’s fingers caught his. Their fingers twined together, locking into loose knots.

“I think I’d like that.”

\---

They eventually found Malia, who had been staying as a guest in Lydia’s castle. The princess huffed when Stiles and Derek had shown up at the door, a cat perched on her shoulder like a hissing, angry scarf. Stiles had just grinned sheepishly, hand in hand with Derek, who was trying to stare down an amused dragon.

Jordan had just grinned, five kittens piled up on his scaly body, as he lounged on the stairwell.

“Really, Stiles?” Lydia raised one perfect eyebrow, her face twisted into an unsatisfied frown, “you brought one home with you?”

“He just looked so lost!”

“And that’s why you’ve been living out on your mountain this past week?”

Derek tore his eyes away from Jordan, who at this point had gained five more kittens, “ _Your_ mountain?”

Stiles grinned sheepishly, “It was a wedding present for them.” then his eyes widened, “but the king and queen know! They approve! Just doesn’t look good for them if the general population know the princess is out living the good life with a husband who can breathe fire and has a probable addiction to coffee and raw lamb!”

Derek huffed a laugh, then lifted their hands to his mouth, placing a kiss on the back of Stiles’ hand. He watched as Stiles melted, eyes dripping with warmth as Lydia let out a sound of disgust to the side.

\---

“So, uh…”

“Yes, Erica?”

Erica’s eyes flickered from Derek, to Stiles, then back to Derek. “Was this a convoluted way of asking Derek out?”

There was a pause.

“Nah, not really.”

“Oh, come on-“

“What Stiles means,” Derek cut over Erica, “is that we’ve been dating for the past couple of months and I need you out of the loft tomorrow.”

Both Isaac and Erica went silent, the latter’s mouth falling open. Isaac’s wide eyes seemed to widen even more, eyeballs almost bulging out of the sockets.

“Yep. That’s all, folks!” Stiles cuddled up to Derek, grinning widely at his boyfriend, “Now: movie?”


End file.
